The former purchasing manager with a book company has gone from being suicidal to helping more than 100 fellow sufferers in the last two years after his life was transformed by Lightning Therapy.

One of only two trained therapists in the North East, Geoff, 33, of Darras Hall, Ponteland, was in total despair, wheelchair bound and in his fourth year of constant, chronic fatigue, lacking the strength to walk and sometimes even chew when he heard about the Lightning Process.

He'd tried all kinds of alternative thereapies when in May 2006, he walked into Phil Parker's clinic in London, armed with a million questions, and one trusted walking stick.

Geoff says: "I walked out amazed and fascinated. In fact, I walked for two miles in tears of joy and incredulity at how four hours later, I realised that everything Phil had taught me made perfect sense."

"After the third day of the course, I had walked 10 miles, was no longer tired doing small things like putting shoes on and my pain was lessening daily.

"The programme didn't stop when I left Phil's clinic. I had work to do when I got home but knowing that there was light at the end of the tunnel and knowing that I still had a loving supporting family to help me through it, I was determined to make it work.

"I was back at work part-time three months later and back working full-time five months later.

"I was once again enjoying life with my family and friends and finally, was living again.

"I made the most of this newly-learnt technique to work on my depression, low self-esteem and anxiety.

"I was starting to go out and smile, but the best thing of all, I finally knew I had a tool with which I was able to deal with anything.

"It gave me the assurance and confidence that I'd been looking for – that I really could do anything I wanted.

"So, in September, only four months after my first visit to Phil's clinic, I started training as a hypnotherapist, NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) practitioner and life coach at the European College of Holistic Medicine where Phil Parker trains.

"I wanted to help people recover from ME and, using my own experience of this horrible illness, I could show them that there is hope and you most certainly can recover."

Geoff is now an advanced practitioner in the Lightning Process – a kind of neuro-linguistic approach which trains the brain to withstand the symptoms of the illness, although I am told, it does not work for everyone with ME.

It is still something of a mystery to Geoff how it works and he explains: "We are changing the neurological pathway so people can take control and no longer believe they don't have energy because all of a sudden they can produce energy. When you get the mental and physical in synergy people prove that they can do amazing things."

He has held the first-ever seminar in the USA, trained people in Norway and the UK and intends holding seminars in Sweden, Denmark and Holland this year.

He said: "I have now worked with people suffering from all types of conditions including ME, and often surprise myself at how pleased I feel in being able to help people who, like me, thought there was no hope of recovery.

"I have had clients who have been in wheelchairs for several years and then on day two of the seminar tell me they have walked for several hours around the MetroCentre or gone for a walk.

"One client of mine who was ill for 10 years has just driven from Norway to India on a journey to find out what freedom means to people around the world.

"I have clients aged between 12 and 71, with problems from insomnia, motivation issues, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, to those wishing to gain more focus in sports or work.

"Some have suffered their illnesses for as long as 30 years.

"I strongly believe anything is possible once you know the technique of getting your body and mind back into a synergy.

"Although I know the Lightning Process is controversial and the ME Association is not 100 per cent supportive of it, as an ex- sufferer of this illness, I believe it can give hope to people.

"I have no interest in taking money off people if I don't think they are going to benefit from it. "

* You can find out more on Geoff's website (www.netherapy.co.uk) or calling him on (01661) 820001.